Spellbound
by Spinnerchild
Summary: Star can't believe the way he makes her feel after just one encounter with him. She has to know more but will she get her chance before it's too late?
1. She's Captivated

She was surrounded by people, dancing, jumping and thrashing around to the sounds coming from the band up on the stage. Everyone seemed to be on the same happy buzz and, even though she didn't currently know where he friends were, she was enjoying herself on her own. She had been there for about forty minutes and the heat emanating from the fellow partiers was getting to be too much for her, so she left the center of the action and broke away from the crowd, out onto the Boardwalk. She gathered her curls into her hands and walked holding her hair on the top of her head to help her cool down a bit when she saw there were four rather imposing figures dressed in denim and leather standing on the peripheral of the mass of writhing bodies. They looked both intimidating and enticing to the young girl, but they were positioned between her and the stairs leading down to the beach and the beach was her destination, so she dropped her hair and she walked towards them, her self-consciousness beginning to kick in. The closer she got, the stronger the butterflies felt, and she fiddled with her bracelets and her eyes went to the ground when she felt them watching her approach.

'Hello.' She heard a voice call out to her and she looked up to see the one in the white pants smiling at her and laughing at the others. Her eyes brushed over the other three and found them watching her with mild interest, but her gaze settled upon the blond in all black taking center stage. She continued towards them and when she went to walk past them, suddenly he reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her to him without saying a word.

'Woah, um... Hi.' She said awkwardly, but she was met with only the vivid glare of his sapphire blue eyes. They studied every part of her face, eventually resting upon her lips and his hand reached up and gently stroked the side of her face down to her neck. She didn't know what was happening, but his touch made her feel like she couldn't breathe when he slid his hand beneath her long wavy hair and around the nape of her neck. Her heart was beating in her throat when suddenly his grip tightened, and he pulled her towards him, locking her into a deep and intense kiss. He kissed her like he was hungry for her, forcing his tongue inside her mouth and practically eating her face. She couldn't believe what he was doing and, even more so, that she was allowing him to do it. She could hear his friends hollering at their embrace, but it was just background noise to her, then just as quickly their lips parted, and he let her go, slowing stepping back to where he had stood, against the railing, an underestimated smirk smeared across the stranger's face. She felt like an earthquake had just rocked her, she was giddy and almost a little drunk on his kiss and she looked at the other three, embarrassed, and saw all of them were entertained and watching her, eager to see how the girl would react. Her hand went to her mouth and she took a shaky step away when the dominant alpha's smile widened, and he pushed off the steel fence and began to walk away, brushing a little too close to her as he passed her, and the men surrounding him laughed and followed.

'Hey! There you are!' Her two friends appeared but she barely heard them. 'Who were they?' Star didn't answer the question but continued to watch after them, still captivated by the man in black.

'Hello?' Her friend grabbed her arm.

'What?' Star finally looked at her friends.

'Those guys? Who are they?'

'Oh, um… I don't know.' She looked confused.

'Weren't you just talking to them?' Her other friend asked.

'No, I ah…' She looked back at where they had disappeared and touched her lips again. 'No.'

'Oh, looked like you were.'

'The dark-haired guy was a honey!' The second girl added, and Star looked at her.

'Come on, let's go get something to eat.' The first girl suggested, and they pulled Star along with them out of the Boardwalk and out onto the street where there was a small burger joint. Her two friends sat and ate cheeseburgers while Star and picked at some fries, her eyes fixed out the large windows the whole time, watching every person walking past in the hopes of seeing the men just one more time tonight.


	2. Anticipation

The girls had gone back to one of Star's friends', houses but in the morning, the girl's mother no longer saw Star as a good influence on her daughter and had asked her to leave. Star hadn't been in Santa Carla long and other than her friend, she knew no one in this town nor had she gotten a job yet. She sat on a park bench along Main Beach and watched the sun go down, clutching her small duffel bag which contained everything the girl owned. She'd been sitting there for an hour and a half already and had no intention of going anywhere anytime soon, not that she had anywhere to go anyways. She knew she was going to have to try and find a job within the next day or so, but she'd stolen enough money off her step dad before she'd bailed to get her through. The surfers were coming in off the waves with their boards now that the sun was just an afterthought on the horizon and the temperature had dropped, but not by much. She decided she wanted a hot drink, so she walked down towards the Boardwalk but as she passed a bar, her desire for a hot drink was replaced with one for an alcoholic one so she walked in. There were more people in there than she'd expected but she hoped that would distract the bartender to the fact that she was 4 years underage to be served. She made her way up to the bar and her nerves began to make her hands tremble when it was her turn to order a drink.

'What can I get you?'

'Oh, um, can I have a vodka tonic?'

'Sure, as soon as I see some ID.' Her initial elation dropped, and she turned and slowly made her way towards the door when a waiter called out after her.

'Hey!' She turned to see a man motioning to her and she looked around, unsure he meant her. 'Yeah, you! Here.' He handed her a drink.

'For me?' She asked confused.

'Yeah, from...' The waiter looked around. 'Ah, one of the guys over there.' He pointed in a vague direction and she followed his finger but couldn't see anyone she recognised. 'Oh wait, they're over there, walking out.' She looked over at the guys near the door and she just about fell over, it was the guys from last night who had just bought her a drink. Her heart began thumping in her throat, other than the whole living situation, she hadn't been able to get him out of her head, the leader, and here she walks into a random bar and he secretly buys her a drink then walks out without saying a word. She couldn't help but smile at the gesture and feel a little excited at the indirect attention being paid to her by such men. She happily sipped on her vodka and talked mindless chatter to the random men who approached her and after spending longer than she'd anticipated in the busy bar, she exited out onto the street, looking forward to hopefully running into the men again, when she suddenly remembered she had nowhere to go for the night. That realisation put a dampener on her happy buzz and she began to look at the stores along the pier and contemplate where she would maybe be able to get a job. She walked in and out of the many tourist stores and entertainment places and she aimlessly wandered into the local video store and began looking at the shelves, not that she had anything to watch a video on or anywhere to watch one. The girl behind the counter smiled at her but didn't ask if she wanted anything and Star figured it was because she could see she was a lost cause, so she just smiled back and left. It was late and there were less people out on the Boardwalk or on the streets now, and no sign of the boys she was subconsciously, or consciously, looking for. She had enough money to be able to get a bed at Santa Carla's seediest motel for a few nights but that was about it, at least that would afford her a shower, and it was Friday tomorrow so there would be more of a chance in getting a job, or at least an interview.

She paid the $30 for the room and upon walking in, she felt like she'd been ripped off. There was dirty torn carpet beneath her feet, light green paint on the walls which was peeling and made her feel like she was staying in an institution, and the bedspread had holes in it. She gingerly peered into the bathroom and found it was cleaner than she was expecting but it was still gross. It was late, and she was tired, so she sat on the end of the bed and took her shoes off, but she really wasn't keen on getting under those covers, fearing what may have been left there from the previous occupants. She put on her thin oversized jumper and she lay on top of the bed, but as soon as she lay down, she found it smelled funny. She grabbed one of her singlets out of her bag, placed it over her pillow and lay her head on that and that made it a little better. She fell asleep quickly but didn't sleep well or for long, she had strange dreams and she kept waking up to the voices of the girls soliciting their tricks outside. Then at about 2:30am, one of the girls' pimps began going off, screaming and yelling that she owed him money, and Star lay there and began to think about where she wanted to work, but as hard as she tried, she couldn't get the bikers out of her head, especially the one who'd kissed her. She'd never met anyone with such a powerful persona before, yet he hadn't said a single word to her. Flashing red and blues could be seen through her thin ratty curtains and she rolled onto her side away from the commotion going on outside, it sounded like the girl's pimp was going to spend the rest of the night in jail, which wouldn't be long, she figured it must be about 4am by now. She began to think about what she was actually going to say to these men, when she finally had the chance, she would thank them for the drink but then what? She decided she didn't care, she would try saying anything to get him to kiss her again, to feel his cold lips against hers and to have him look at her the way he did the night before. She had never felt like this over any other boy, no man because he was definitely a man, before let alone a complete stranger. She began to think about what she would wear tomorrow in case she ran into him again and that she needed to buy something new, which then brought her back to needing a job. She decided she'd definitely land herself one tomorrow and get herself sorted, so she could stay in Santa Carla longer and see more of these men, a lot more. She realised the Police lights had gone and it was quiet again and she yawned, curled up and went to sleep.


	3. Has She Blown It?

She got up and the air inside the small room was warm and stuffy, so she made her way to the bathroom and turned the shower on, taking a brief and horrifying look at herself in the mirror, she had dark bags the size of Texas under her eyes. She quickly looked away and checked the temperature of the water, it was OK, the pressure of the shower wasn't great but at least it wasn't cold, so she got undressed and stepped in. She had just finished washing her hair when she was disturbed by someone consistently banging on the door outside.

'Hey! Senorita! Hola, hello?' She heard the Mexican lady at her door calling out to her. 'Check out is 11am! You stay longer, you pay another night! Star hastily got out of the shower, there was no way she was staying here another night. She got dressed in the only clean clothes she had left, grabbed her bag and left the motel, avoiding the front desk and the office lady as she went.

She walked down the main drag of Santa Carla and, despite her wet hair, began going from business to business, trying to find some work. She'd been to bars and restaurants, but it wasn't until she walked into an eclectic clothing store that someone finally showed an interest in her and agreed to give her a trial the following day. She was so relieved, and her next stop would be a laundromat to wash her clothing and make sure she had something to wear the next day and her stomach was growling so some food was in order. Before long, her stomach was full, she had a bag full of clean clothing and she was now wandering aimlessly along the waterfront thinking about her friends and whether she would see them tonight.

She went out onto the beach and sat on the warm sand watching the sun approach the watery horizon and go from a bright yellow to a bright orange then get darker and darker until it slipped beneath the waves of the Pacific Ocean and tiny dots of light began to become apparent in the blackening sky. She looked around and saw the Boardwalk sparkling and the band began to play, and Star decided to go over and wander the wooden planks of the structure and window shop, finding things that caught her eye and buying them, not worrying about the money now she had a job, well, hopefully a job. She put her new Matador jacket on and wore it proudly as she continued down the Boardwalk around the rides and tried to see if she could spot her friends, but she had no luck.

Feeling a bit despondent, she weaved in and around the people back towards the stage where the live music began to suck her in, she'd always been a live music lover. She was drawn into the throng of moving people and began to get lost, in both body and mind, and she had no idea how long she'd been in there, but she was now fully invested in the fun and freedom she was experiencing and didn't see him approaching. Suddenly, the man who had consumed her thoughts all the previous night appeared and walked around her, lifting the tips of her hair as he circled past her. He watched her as intently as ever and she stopped her dancing to engage in eye contact with him, desperate to say something to him, something witty, something intelligent, anything at all but all she managed was a smile, to which he responded with his own devastating half smile before he once again disappeared into the crowd around her. She felt like her legs were going to buckle beneath her and she looked around expecting to see his friends, only they were nowhere she could see and when she looked back to see where he'd gone, she couldn't see him either, but she could definitely feel the effect of what his presence did to her, especially when she hadn't been expecting to see him. Her hands were shaking again, and she had to get out of the crowd, so she could breathe properly.

She felt embarrassed, he must think she was so stupid not even being able to say a simple hello to the man. What was wrong with her? She walked away and figured that she'd blown it, he wouldn't want to get to know her now, especially after her appalling display tonight. She was angry with herself and over being there, so she headed to the entrance, she was ready to leave and go get some sleep. She made her way out on the street and she jumped when a group of motorcyclists roared out from the Boardwalk and she spun around to see the four elusive men riding towards her. She quickly looked away, again embarrassed to see him but she couldn't help herself and she looked sideways as he rode past her and she found him staring at her and he chuckled at her when her eyes met his, solidifying her thought that he thought nothing of her. He had laughed at her and she put her head down and solemnly walked towards the motel on the corner.


	4. Just When She Thought It Was Over

Star got the job at the clothing store, began working regularly and made some new friends and, in doing so, she managed to put the bikers out of her head. She hadn't seen them in a couple of weeks which made it easier and she had begun to casually see Dylan, one of her co-workers, which was also a nice distraction for her. Admittedly, she didn't quite have the intense interest or get the butterflies that the man in black had given her, but she'd concluded that he had realised what a ditz she was and had moved on, so she did too. She'd found a small apartment to rent and had begun to build a small collection of possessions and she was quite happy with where her life was going. She sat on her bed and did her hair in preparation of her date for the evening, she had the night off work and Dylan had asked her out for dinner. Slipping in her earrings and putting on her shoes, she heard a knock on her door and she got up to look out the window and saw Dylan's beat up Chevy parked out on the kerb and she grabbed her jacket and went out to meet him.

'You look beautiful.' He told her, and he greeted her with a kiss. She climbed into his car and they drove out to the Dolphin at the end of the pier and she walked arm in arm with him into the restaurant. She enjoyed a lovely dinner and Star began to feel semi secure in her budding relationship with Dylan. When they left the restaurant, he suggested they go for a walk along the beach, it was winter, so the beach was quieter than usual and without the kids and the bonfires, but it wasn't overly cold, and she was happy to wander along the sand with her male companion. They passed the Boardwalk and she noticed some of the stalls and rides were closed already and she wondered what the time was. They wandered a little further down the beach, him talking about his family and her just listening to him and enjoying the connection she was having with him.

'Do you know those guys?' He asked her, and she looked up at him, not realising she had drifted away in her own little world for a minute, she didn't know what he was talking about.

'Huh? Who?' She asked, and he motioned over towards the entrance to the San Lorenzo River and when she looked over to where he was indicating, she just about fell over. It was the bikers she'd tried so hard to push out of her mind and her man in black was smoking a cigarette and staring intently, while looking decidedly unimpressed, at her. Again, she was caught by surprise seeing him and, even though it had been two weeks, her hands still became shaky and her nerves went into overdrive just being near him. 'No.' She answered his question, certain she sounded unsure, but in all honesty, she didn't know them. She didn't even know any of their names and she took a deep breath in a vain attempt to settle the butterflies in her tummy as they turned around and continued back down the beach and away from the men. She tried to hide her hands, hoping Dylan wouldn't notice her reaction to seeing the men but he grabbed her hand before she could stuff it inside her jacket pocket and interlinked his fingers with hers. She hoped the stranger in black hadn't seen the action and, try as she might, she couldn't help herself and she turned to look at them one last time and she was again greeted with a stone-cold glare from two of the men while the other two had turned away. She felt a strange sinking feeling in her chest, almost guilty, but for what, she didn't know. They walked back to Dylan's car, only now her demeanour had changed making their parting exchange outside of her apartment twenty minutes later somewhat strained. Watching him drive away, she felt flat and confused about the evening, so she went inside, had a shower and went to bed but found she couldn't sleep. She thought she had gotten over her mystery kisser and she couldn't understand that such a brief and insignificant encounter on the beach would affect her so much and cause her to feel the way she felt. But what was undeniable for her was the nervous excitement that coursed through her body seeing him again.

She woke up tired and went to work the next day but was distracted and, although Dylan said everything was fine, he was distant, and his actions told her differently. He told her he was busy that evening and departed straight after his shift, leaving her to make her own way home, so she decided to go down to the Boardwalk, in the hopes of maybe seeing the biker boys again and hopefully attempting to get him out of her system once and for all but she was unable to locate either him or his friends and she gave up. She wasn't overly hungry, she hadn't been since she'd seen him again, but she grabbed a milkshake and hung around the beach and watched the sun go down before she felt the cold come in off the waves and slowly she made her way home on the bus. It was dark by the time she reached her stop and, making her salary, she didn't live in the most savoury part of town, and along with the murderous reputation of Santa Carla, she felt a tad scared walking the streets from her stop to her place alone. She held onto the strap of her backpack with one hand and clutched her keys in her other and was thinking more and more of how she was going to possibly get a little bomb for herself to get around in. She walked around the corner onto her street and she began to relax a little and slowed her pace, three more houses and she would be home safe. She reached her apartment and unlatched the small gate, then as she stepped onto her property, a figure appeared from out of the dark to her left and she came to an instant halt. It wasn't until she saw his stark blond spikes that she realised who it was, and her panic turned to a confused interest.

'Ahhh…. Hi.' She said, her eyebrows creasing as she spoke. He silently walked around the building and stopped in front of the porch, leaning against the pilings, and he crossed his ankles and clasped his hands in front of him and looked at her. 'What are you doing here?' She asked, and she looked around for his friends, or anyone else, but she saw they were alone. He continued to watch her silently for another few heart beats and to her, those beats got louder in the absence of his response but when he did finally speak, the depth of his voice made her bones shake.

'Where's your friend?'

'Oh, he's busy tonight.' She answered.

'I've been gone a week and you go get a boyfriend?' He asked her, and she found his question odd but the judgement in his tone was unmistakable.

'He's not my boyfriend.' She heard herself say and she wasn't sure why. True, they weren't exclusive, but she had definitely begun seeing him, only she didn't want to admit that to the man before her. He smirked at her response and took a drag on his cigarette.

'You two looked very close last night.' He mused, and she felt a chill go through her.

'We just work together. And you were gone two weeks.' She answered, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.

'So, you knew how long I'd been away?' He tilted his head and she blushed, making him smile a mouthful of gleaming white teeth, he was so attractive.

'Where did you go?' She asked looking down, not wanting him to see how badly she wanted to know. He didn't answer her and when she looked back up at him, he flashed her a look that told her she shouldn't have asked. He flicked his cigarette butt out of his hand, pushed off the porch and stepped towards her. 'What's your name?' She asked him, trying to get him to speak again but he just placed his gloved finger to his lips.

'Shhhh.' He continued to move closer to her and she thought her legs might buckle beneath her. His hand gently touched her cheek and she looked up into his eyes. She'd never seen such blue eyes and she'd never felt such a mesmerizing sensation looking into them. She felt like she was being sucked into a whirlpool and she didn't know how to escape or even if she wanted to if she could. He leaned forward and suddenly his lips were upon hers and her eyes rolled shut. His kiss was full of passion and longing, like he was getting a fix for his habit from within her, he kissed her like he had on the Boardwalk and she felt like he was sucking the life out of her. She went numb and clung to the lapels on his thick black jacket until his lips pulled away from her and she reopened her eyes to see him still staring into her soul. She stared back at him, not knowing what to say or do so she let go of him and he stepped back, his lip curling at her expression.

'I'll be around. I'll see you soon.' His velvet voice caressed her as much as his body just did and she dreamily smiled at him. He stepped back into the shadows and was gone as quickly as he had appeared, and she went inside, again not entirely sure what had just happened.


	5. First Date?

How did he know where she lived? Had he followed her last night? Why hadn't he answered any of her questions? Even told her his name? How did he have such an effect on her? Why couldn't she get him out of her head? The questions swam around inside her head all night long and by the morning, she felt like she'd again gone without a decent sleep. She got dressed and slowly made her way to work and worked her shift with an air of vacancy, well at least that was what her boss Thomas had told her. She left at 5pm and went straight home to hopefully get an early night, and once she arrived there, she showered, ate and lay on her bed and read for a while but her mind kept wandering. The touch of his leather glove, the light scratch of his stubble when he kissed her, the intense butterflies she had even now just thinking about him… The thoughts just wouldn't stop so she shut her book and lay there staring at the small patch of sky she could see out her window. She wondered where he was and what he was doing, for surely he and his friends had a wide social circle incorporating many girls, of which she unfairly felt envious of, if they were with him and his boys tonight. She rolled over and put that thought out of her head, she didn't want to think of him and other girls, she just wanted to think of him watching her and kissing her. He must like her otherwise he wouldn't have asked if she had a boyfriend. A boyfriend. Her thoughts went to Dylan, she hadn't really spoken to him since they'd had dinner, she'd have to talk to him tomorrow and see where things stood between them. She decided to try and sleep, so she climbed under her covers and closed her eyes only 2 hours later, images of her man in black continued to pleasantly haunt her and by morning she again knew she was going to have to power through running on barely any sleep.

'Do you own a bed?' Thomas joked when she walked in the store.

'Yeah, just not a very comfortable one.' She lied, smiling at him.

'Damn, girl, buy a new one.' He shook his head as he took a pile of neatly folded shirts over to the stand in the middle of the men's side. She placed her bag out the back and came out the front again to begin work. 'I need you to stay late, Dylan has called in sick.' Her chest sank as she sighed at the news, was he really sick or was he avoiding her? She hadn't really done anything wrong, not that she knew of, but maybe things were different in his mind.

She quietly worked her shift and skipped lunch, not feeling overly hungry, but by dinner time Thomas made her leave and go and get something to eat. Staring at the menu on the board outside the small eatery, nothing was looking appetizing to her and she sighed a little and looked up the street, fairly certain she wasn't going to find anything she wanted to eat there either.

'Hungry?' A deep smooth voice asked her and there was only one voice that could make her stomach instantly tense up like hers just had. She turned her head to see the man in black behind her and she turned to face him only for him to walk around to her right and lean against the side of the building causing her to do a 180 to continue looking at him.

'Not really, not for anything here, I have to go back to work soon.' She said, and he lit a cigarette as he looked her up and down.

'Nothin here satisfying you?' His question was full of innuendo and she looked down smiling, trying not to blush. She heard him chuckle a little at her and felt her cheeks burn, then when she looked back up at him, the look he gave her made her knees weak and she could swear he could smell her attraction to him.

'Are you going to tell me your name this time?' He eyeballed her and sucked in a lungful of smoke before he spoke.

'What's yours?'

'Star.' She replied, and his eyebrow rose.

'Star?' He asked, and she could see she'd surprised him.

'Yes, Star. I was named after my grandmother.' She informed him, and he nodded as he looked away and seemingly contemplated her answer, then he quickly threw his half-smoked cigarette on the ground and pushed off the wall.

'Well Star, I will see you after work.' He smirked at her and winked and once again he was gone, and she was left feeling angsty and discontented. She looked at her watch and saw it was time to return to work and she quickly walked back to the store but on the way, she realised he again hadn't answered her question. She still didn't know his name and she had no idea what he meant by 'see you after work', she'd never told him where she worked. Walking back into the store, she realised he'd just gone and left her with even more questions.

'Hey, there she is. Did you eat?' Thomas greeted her when she got back, and she nodded, lying again just to get him off her back. 'Good. Listen, are you OK to close up? I've gotta go. Close early, say 8pm?'

'Sure, I'll set the alarm and just pull the door closed right?' She asked, nervous. She'd never closed up on her own but had seen Dylan do it.

'Yes, the door will lock once you close it and just make sure the cash is secured in the lock box.' He reminded her, and she nodded in agreeance. He shot out the back and grabbed his jacket. 'Thank you so much!' He said as he quickly left the store, leaving her all alone. It was 6.30pm already so she didn't have long to go and as she served the half dozen people over the next hour, she felt more confident of having sole charge of the store. By 7.45pm, the store was empty, and she did a brief sweep of the floor and she shut the main door, so she could put the cash in the lock box and close the staff room before she left. She came out with her bag and she was shocked to find the blue-eyed stranger straddling a large motorcycle right outside the front of her work. Her heart skipped a beat, how did he know where she worked? First her home and now her work, he had to be following her or spying on her because this was crazy. She turned the lights off and took a deep breath before setting the alarm and tentatively opening the door to the sidewalk and stepping outside. A cold wind hit her as she closed the door behind her and she wrapped her jacket tighter around her then she walked with unsteady legs towards the man as he watched her every move.

'Hi.' She said, and he just looked at her with an amused grin. 'How do you know where I work? I never told you.' She asked him, and she decided she wasn't going to let him deflect or ignore her questions any longer.

'I know people.' He said, his eyes sparkling in the light of the street lamps.

'Did those people also tell you where I live?' She challenged the validity of his answer and he laughed.

'No. One of my boys knows someone on your street and saw you.' His answer made her pause, it was a totally reasonable answer, and she felt a little embarrassed in the way she'd asked him now. 'Where are you going now, Star?'

'Home I guess.'

'Did you end up eating anything?' He asked as he looked around like he was waiting for something and she shook her head, watching him and hoping he would ask her to go eat with him. 'So, you're still dissatisfied?' He asked, swinging his leg off his bike and walking towards her. 'I can fix that, come with me.' He told her as he brushed past her and she turned to watch him walk away but she stayed still, and he stopped. 'The name's David.' He said and turned his head to look back at her with that flirty smile draped across his face again and she melted and followed him.

He led her down a small alleyway about ten feet up the road but there was nothing down there and she slowed her pace and watched where he was going. He opened a hidden gate on the right and stood holding it open. 'Come on.' He encouraged her, and she cautiously followed him and walked through the gate ahead of him. He led her through the courtyard of an abandoned building and by now she was bordering on being scared about where this man in black, David, was taking her. He walked down a very dark side path next to the building which opened out to a street a block and a half away from her store and there were four food stands, all lit up along the street and he directed her towards the taco stand.

'Best tacos in Santa Carla.' He announced with a large smile and she smiled back.

'Perfect.' She said. They went to the stand and, once she had ordered, he told her to take a seat and he would bring it over to her. She sat at a small round white plastic table with a plastic umbrella in the center and looked at the other food stalls, but when he returned, he only had one taco. He'd paid for hers, but he didn't order one for himself, which made her feel quite strange.

'Thank you.' She said, as he handed it to her. 'You're not hungry?'

'I've eaten already.' He said, leaning against the garbage bin, his large black coat concealing the entire bin behind him.

'Oh, well you didn't have to…'

'I wanted to.' He cut her off and the way he said it, she got the feeling he didn't do anything he didn't want to. She sat there eating her taco with him looking over her and she felt so small, she'd always been a fairly confident girl but with him, she felt somewhat insecure. She ate quickly and in pretty much silence, and she wondered why he would invite her to dinner and not speak to her making her paranoia spike again over her fear that he thought she was stupid. She finished her taco and stood to throw her serviette in the trash, but he didn't move for her making her have to reach around him and as she leaned in, he moved his face, so it was right in front of hers. She looked down and felt her cheeks redden again and she heard him laugh. 'Would you like a ride home?' He asked her once she stepped away and she looked up at him.

'On your bike?'

'Yeah, is that a problem?'

'No, of course not.' She'd never ridden on the back of a motorcycle, but she didn't want to tell him that. They walked back more like a couple, but she wasn't sure exactly what type of couple. A couple of friends or were they now more? He led her back down the path they'd came and once they were back out on the street, he spoke again, and she realised just the sound of his voice made her feel warm inside.

'You don't talk a lot.' Her head shot up to look at him. 'I like that.' She exhaled, relief flooding her, but it left her perplexed as to what to do next.

'I thought you were thinking I was stupid for not saying anything.' She said, and he smiled.

'Nah, your vulnerability is appealing to me.' Her vulnerability? She didn't want to come across as vulnerable, she wanted to come across as strong and independent and interesting.

'Where are your friends?' She asked, and he looked at her sideways.

'Don't you worry about them.' He said coolly, harsher than she was expecting and she quickly looked away from him. Obviously, his friends were a sore point tonight.

They reached his bike and he straddled his seat and booted the engine. 'Get on.' He told her, and she hesitated before she climbed on behind him and gingerly held onto his jacket. He rode fast, faster than she was prepared for and by the time they arrived on her dark empty street, she was clutching onto him and she had to peel herself off his back in order to get off. She straightened her clothing and stepped onto the side walk and looked at him, he was so reserved, like nothing bothered him or could penetrate his cool exterior and she realised she felt very insignificant around him.

'Would you like to come in?' He looked at her carefully then up at her small apartment and shook his head. With that one action, she felt horribly embarrassed that he was judging her on where she lived, and she stood there awkwardly, in front of him, not knowing what to say, but desperate to keep his interest in her. He beckoned her to him with his index finger and she nervously stepped towards him when his hand slid to the back of her neck and he brought her to his lips. Her eyes rolled closed and she was immersed in the intoxicating effect he had on her again, the numbing of her mind and body when he touched her was so addictive for her and she never wanted this kiss to stop, but it did. He held her face close to his after their lips parted and for the first time when she opened her eyes, she caught a glimpse of what she felt reflected in his eyes also. His sharp eyes betrayed him, his pupils were dilated and there was a dreamy quality to them, before he pulled away from her and they went back to his cold calculating blue diamonds.

'Go inside. I will see you tomorrow.' He said, glancing up the street and she suddenly thought of Dylan.

'Oh, I can't. I have to work tomorrow and I'm busy tomorrow night.' She informed him, and he turned his head back towards her and she felt the heat of his glare almost instantly.

'Cancel it.' It was an order. 'I will see you tomorrow.' He started his bike and rode away without saying goodbye and she watched him disappear, slightly disturbed by his demand.


	6. Finally To Tell Someone

She woke and got dressed for work, still perturbed about her date, if you could call it that, with David and his order that she just cancel her plans because he said so. She worked her shift and half expected him to walk into her work most of the day but the closer it got to the end of her shift, the more she concluded that her paranoia wasn't warranted. Once she'd finished her shift, he wouldn't know where she was anyways.

'Hey Star.' Dylan said walking in to replace her for the night shift and butterflies surged in her stomach hearing him say her name.

'Hey.' She smiled back at him. 'What are you doing tonight, after work? I'd like to talk to you.'

'Ah, I'm not doing anything.' He responded.

'I'll come back at closing. I'll see you then?' She gently touched his hand.

'Sure.' He said, and he went off to put his bag away in the staff room. He came out and went on the floor and she went to retrieve her bag and left the store.

Walking down the street, she felt conflicted. She was happy Dylan was keen to speak to her, but if she was honest with herself, her thoughts were still consumed by David, only her excitement over the man in black had now morphed into a mild concern with her not understanding his actions or more so his motivations. She wondered if she should go home before meeting with Dylan, or just hang around in town, it was Friday night and the mid-winter Festival was happening along Main Beach. She decided to stay and revel with the people bustling along the Boardwalk and wander through the pop-up stalls that had sprung up in the parking lot, but despite her distractions, she struggled to get David out of her head. His demand of her was so odd, especially as he hardly knew her, and she found the way he looked at her before he left very disconcerting which made her feel almost uncomfortable even thinking about it now. The sun went down and she made her way through the crowds down onto the beach where there were fire dancers, a laser light show, and a grand finale of fireworks which kept her occupied. She wandered the sand and bumped into her friend Maggie, who she hadn't seen since she'd moved out.

'Maggie, oh my God! How are you?' Star said hugging her friend.

'Hey Star, I'm good, how are you? I'm so sorry about my mother, she's such a cow. Where are you living now?'

'I have a little place in Watsonville.' She said looking down when her friend screwed up her nose at the news. 'But I'm really happy there and I have a job, and a boyfriend, kind of.'

'A boyfriend?! Oh come, walk and talk with me and tell me all about him.' Star and Maggie walked along the beach and Star told her all about Dylan and her work. 'What happened to those guys you were talking with that night? That guy in the long black jacket and the hottie with long dark hair? Did you ever see them again?'

'That's another thing I wanted to tell you about. That night, that you saw me with them, I didn't tell you but, I kissed one of them.'

'What? Why didn't you tell me? Which one? Not my Greek God…' Maggie excitedly shrieked.

'No,' Star laughed, 'the jacket guy, his name is David.'

'Why didn't you tell me? Oh my God, no wonder you were all stupid after that!'

'I didn't tell you because it was weird. I'd just come out from dancing by the stage and I went to walk past them to the beach and he reached out and grabbed me and pulled me to him.' Star looked at her friend and saw a worried look on her face.

'Okaaay…' Maggie said with her eyebrows creased.

'Then he touched the side of my face and he pulled my head to his and he kissed me.'

'What? Without saying anything?' Star shook her head. 'And you let him?'

'I didn't really have a choice but then he let me go and they walked off, right, then the next night, I went for a drink at Marley's on the corner and I tried to buy a vodka tonic.'

'But you're underage?'

'I know, I was ID'd but suddenly a waiter came running up to me with a vodka tonic and said someone had bought it for me and pointed towards the door and I saw him and his friends leaving.'

'Wait, so they bought you a drink and just left?'

'Uh-huh, it gets worse, I saw him again, and again, he said nothing to me and just walked around me in the middle of the crowd at the stage and touched my hair.'

'He touched your hair?' The more Star told Maggie, the more embarrassed she felt.

'Yeah.'

'You know this is starting to sound really creepy, right?' Maggie lowered her eyes at her friend.

'He showed up at my house.' Star admitted, and Maggie stopped walking. 'And at my work.'

'Oh, Star…'

'I didn't even tell him where I lived or worked, I'm not 100% sure how he found out.'

'Star, you need to tell the Police.'

'I can't, I went out with him.' She bit her bottom lip, and almost cringed at the response she was about to get.

'You what? Why?! The guy sounds like a creep.'

'I don't know, he kissed me both times, at my house, and when he does, my knees buckle, and I feel numb. No one has ever made me feel like that before and when he looks at me, I feel like I can't breathe.'

'Where did he take you?' Maggie asked genuinely interested.

'To a taco stand.' Star admitted, and Maggie burst out laughing.

' _A taco stand?!_ '

'Yeah, and he barely spoke to me, he hadn't even told me his name until that night. He didn't even eat with me, he just stood and watched me eat.' She was struggling to justify her attraction to him after everything she'd told her friend had happened and she realised how strange the man was.

Oh, Star, he's a freak, why would you want to be with a man who treats you like that?'

'OK, I know but imagine if the hot dark-haired man was showing an interest in you and buying you drinks and kissing you like you were the last person on Earth? What if when he looked at you it made your heart bang against your ribcage?'

'You sound like you're in love.' Star didn't know how to answer that because she was embarrassed, how could she be in love with someone who she didn't even know? But she felt like she was. 'What about Dylan? He sounds really nice and sweet and normal. And he took you to an actual restaurant.'

'He got a bit annoyed that I got so distracted by David and I haven't spoken to him since he took me out to dinner. I'm talking to him tonight.'

'I want you to ignore David from now on, go and be with Dylan and be happy. Seriously, he's already treating you better than stalker David is.' Maggie looked down at her watch. 'Oh, I gotta go! Please, lets catch up soon.' She gave Star a quick hug and began to walk off. 'And I want an invite to the wedding!' She called out before she became just another head in the crowd. Star walked back up to the Boardwalk and meandered along past the rides towards the parking lot and as she crossed the vast space, she noticed one of David's friends, the young-looking man with the colourful jacket. He was sitting upon a large motorcycle, similar to David's and he was watching her with a very serious expression. She glanced around but she couldn't see David or any of his other friends, but something told her they weren't very far away. She decided she should go and meet Dylan sooner rather than later and they should get away from the waterfront, because she wanted to talk to him without any distraction.


	7. Decision Made

Star quickly crossed the road back towards Main Street and back down towards the clothing store. Maybe Maggie was right, Dylan was nice, he had a job, he bought her flowers and dinner and genuinely seemed to care about her, well at least enough to get jealous over her. He didn't leave her confused or unsure or made her feel insecure when she was with him. He was the safe bet and even though he didn't hold the excitement or intrigue of David, he was the right choice for her. She walked with a little more purpose feeling like she'd made her decision and she now looked forward to speaking to Dylan and reassuring him of where he stood with her and hopefully solidifying things for herself. As enigmatic as David was, she needed stability and security in her life and she couldn't see David providing that for her. She approached the store and the outside lights were switched off already but walking up to the door, Dylan saw her and motioned for her to come in.

'Hi, how was your night?' She asked as soon as she entered.

'Good, busy so it went fast thank God.' He smiled, and she relaxed at his friendly manner. 'I'm nearly finished. I just need to put the cash in the safe and I can lock up. Where do you want to go? I was thinking a drink at Marley's? My shout?'

'Um… I was thinking maybe we could go for a drive? Maybe out to Paradise Park?'

'Paradise Park?' He screwed up his nose. 'Babe, it's miles out there and it's late. Don't you have to work tomorrow morning?'

'Yeah, I don't care though, I just want to get out of town for a while.' She said looking down.

'Ah, OK, sure. Are you alright?' He stopped and looked at her.

'Yeah.' She looked back at him. 'Come on, let's go.'

'Right, OK. Gimme a sec.' He said taking the cash out the back while she leaned on the front counter. He appeared again soon after and he walked over to her and put his arms around her waist, pulling her close and into a kiss. She was pleased he had come around and she didn't want to give him cause to feel insecure again. They stood like this for a minute until they heard someone walk into the store and they abruptly broke apart and Star turned away.

'Sorry, we're closed.' Dylan said to the unwanted customer.

'Is that right?' She heard a male say and she shot her head back around, instantly recognising the baritone voice. To her horror there stood David, his cold steel eyes impaling her, and she found she couldn't look away. Suddenly David's friends piled in after him and Star stepped away from Dylan, nervous about what was about to transpire next. Dylan looked around at the intimidating men spreading out around the store then back at David and saw the way he was looking at Star.

'Look guy, I said we're closed.' Dylan reiterated with a little more force, but David ignored him, his gaze firmly fixed upon the small girl in front of him and he took a slow step towards her. 'I said get out.' Dylan moved to step in between them but Star was horrified to see David's arm go up like a steel bar and stop him and Dylan jolted at the unexpected force. Star looked back at David and found his eyes still transfixed on her and instantly her body went slightly numb and she felt like she was stoned. She couldn't move, it was like she was stuck to the floor and she was unable to look away from his hypnotic stare. Her heart began to hammer in her chest and for some reason, for her, David was all that mattered right now. 'You guys have to leave.' Dylan backed off from David and began addressing the other men, who had now gathered around behind Star, but the only response he got was a 'shut up' from the wild looking blond man with white pants on. David continued to pull on her with his stare and she felt like she wanted to go to him, no more than that, she needed to go to him and she stepped forward. He placed his hand around her arm and a half smile spread across his face. 'Star?! What are you doing?' Dylan saw her move and it diverted his attention back to her. 'No.' Dylan went to grab her only to have the large dark-haired man step in front of him and stop him with just a look. Star didn't even look at Dylan, she couldn't look at him, David commanded all of her and she followed him out the door. 'Star! What the fuck?!' Dylan went to push past the men blocking his path, but he couldn't. 'Who the fuck are you guys?' The dark-haired man stood silent, but the wild blond answered him.

'We get it, you like her, but she's taken.' Paul gave the man a condescending smile and Dylan looked at him like he was crazy.

'What the fuck dude, she's _my_ girlfriend.'

'Not anymore she's not. She's David's girl now.' The man said, and Dylan looked over to the smaller blond who stood next to him laughing at him.

'What do you mean she's his? Doesn't she get a say in this?' Dylan was pissed but he wasn't about to take on all three of these dudes, especially this dark-haired fella.

'I think she's made her choice, hasn't she? I didn't see him drag her outta here.' The man motioned to the door and Dylan wasn't sure what to say. 'Now, stay away from her or we'll keep you away from her. Got it?' Paul slapped Dylan on the side of his shoulder and they left a bewildered Dylan standing in the store alone.

Star blindly walked with David barely conscious of her surroundings or her destination, the only thing she could feel was David's hand locked around her arm and the weight of her feet walking along the side walk and the only thing she could see was David, everything else seemed to be a blur. They walked down towards Main Beach and where his bike was parked and upon reaching it, David stopped and turned to her.

'Was this your plan for tonight?' David spoke to her for the first time that evening, and his words felt like ice shards puncturing holes into her thin frame. Suddenly fear entered her, she didn't want to tell him the truth, but she couldn't lie to him either. 'Star?'

'Yes. I wanted to talk to him.' She admitted, desperately not wanting to lose him even though less than 30 minutes ago, she'd decided Dylan was the man for her.

'Why?' The weight of David's question crushed her and along with his stare, she couldn't even look away to think of what she was going to tell him, but she felt that somehow he already knew.

'To explain to him what is going on.' She felt sick.

'And what's going on Star?' Her breathing became laboured when she knew she was going to have to tell him her initial plan but now that plan seemed so weak and not what she wanted at all. She found herself wanting to be with the man standing before her, she couldn't think of anything else but that.

'Nothing David.' He stood there, his judgement searing her soul before he spoke again.

'And now he knows it too.' He carefully watched her reaction and when he seemed to approve, he straddled his bike. 'Come. Get on.' Again, she felt the pull to go with him and it overpowered her. Wrapping her arms around him, she felt a warm sense of security being with him, one that she never though she would get from him and they rode off in a northern direction, away from the Boardwalk and to the only place she would ever call home again.


End file.
